The 22 March is celebrated World Water Day with the motto Wastewater. The goal of this initiative that emerged in 1993 is to raise awareness about the conservation and development of water resources. In previous years, topics such as health, culture, energy, sustainable development or employment were discussed and this year is the turn of the reuse and treatment of water for recycling.
The opportunities to take advantage of wasted water as a resource are enormous. Safe treated water is a sustainable and affordable source of water and energy and it can provide nutrients and other recoverable materials. The cost of managing wastewater is offset by the benefits to human health, economic development and environmental sustainability, in addition it offers the possibility to generate new business opportunities and encourage job creation.
Industrial water consumption accounts for 22% of global use. It is further envisaged that developing countries will multiply their consumption by 5 over a period of 10 to 20 years due to industrialization. This has encouraged -with the help of social and environmental pressures- the reduction of wastewater emissions and their subsequent treatment and reuse.
The use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture has increased in last years and contamination of groundwater and surface water has become a problem in many countries. Treatment and appropriate re-use would contribute to improving food security, creating jobs and generating new and better quality water sources for all.
Toro Equipment continues to innovate in the manufacture of equipment which are destined to the treatment of industrial and wastewater and providing solutions adapted to the needs of companies and localities. ¿Can you imagine the amount of water that would be wasted if did not exist equipment for water treatment and recycling? Only in Spain, there are over 3.000 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) where more than 5.000 cubic hectometers are purified -5 billion liters-. Of this quantity, only 450 hm3 (450,000 million liters, approximately 13% of the total). Three-quarters of these are used for agriculture, 12% is used for recreational purposes and 6% for industrial use.
But not all the problems come from the industrial and agricultural sphere. This campaign tries to raise awareness about the personal use of water and also about problems such as using toilet like it was rubbish, reuse of grey water -which have a lower pollutant load and whose treatment is simpler- and the increasing amount of plastic in the oceans.